Stafforce Handbook

Employee Handbook Welcome to Stafforce Personnel

www.stafforce.co.uk

REF: v04 072013

Contents The topics covered in this booklet are:

Ethical Trading Initiative Health and Safety Manual Handling

6

Safety Signs

8

Accidents, First Aid and Medication

9

Upper Limb Disorder

9

Personal Protective Equipment

9

Knife Use / Equipment

10

Fire Evacuation

11

Policies and Procedures Equality and Diversity

12

Unions

12

Payment of Wages

12

Pensions

13

Holidays

13

Customer Visits

14

Change to Personal Details

14

Rules and Regulations

2

Agency Workers Regulations

15

Recording Hours Worked / Time Keeping

15

Working Time Regulations

15

Young Persons Regulations

16

Night Worker Regulations

16

Smoking

17

Harassment & Bullying

17

Abusive Language

17

Right to Search

17

Illegal Substances & Materials

18

Social Media

18

Absence / Sickness / Return to Work

18

Maternity

19

Paternity

22

Adoption

23

Disciplinary / Gross Misconduct / Grievance

24

Welcome to Stafforce Recruitment As you are new, you may have lots of questions to ask us. We hope that many of these can be answered in this booklet, but if you have any queries – please don’t hesitate to ask!

This booklet is yours to keep, please ensure that you read through it. It is very important that you understand all the information it contains.

If you ever think that Stafforce has provided you with bad advice, please use the following resources to gain independent advice: Know Your Rights - www.direct.gov.uk Pay + Work Rights Helpline – 0800 917 2368 Working in the UK - www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk Contact Number 0300 123 4699 Citizens Advice Bureau - 020 7833 2181 The information contained in the two websites listed will answer most questions. They also provide information in many other languages.

If you require any assistance or access to the internet, please speak with your Stafforce representative.

Stafforce Recruitment was established in 1977 and is among the top 100 recruitment agencies in the United Kingdom.

We do not charge our Temporary Workers a Work Finding Fee. If other Recruitment Agencies do, please contact Know Your Rights.

Stafforce operate in line with the ACAS, REC & GLA Codes of Practice.

GLA Registered: STAF0004

3

Whilst Stafforce support the principles of the base code we first work to legal and statutory guidance.

Stafforce respects the rights of all workers and works with it’s clients to uphold the principles of the ETI Base Code: 1. Employment is freely chosen 1.1 There is no forced, bonded or involuntary prison labour.

1.2 Workers are not required to lodge "deposits" or their identity papers with their employer and are free to leave their employer after reasonable notice.

2. Freedom of association and the right to collective bargaining are respected 2.1 Workers, without distinction, have the right to join or form trade unions of their own choosing and to bargain collectively.

2.2 The employer adopts an open attitude towards the activities of trade unions and their organisational activities.

2.3 Workers representatives are not discriminated against and have access to carry out their representative functions in the workplace.

2.4 Where the right to freedom of association and collective bargaining is restricted under law, the employer facilitates, and does not hinder, the development of parallel means for independent and free association and bargaining.

3. Working conditions are safe and hygienic 3.1 A safe and hygienic working environment shall be provided, bearing in mind the prevailing knowledge of the industry and of any specific hazards. Adequate steps shall be taken to prevent accidents and injury to health arising out of, associated with, or occurring in the course of work, by minimising, so far as is reasonably practicable, the causes of hazards inherent in the working environment.

3.2 Workers shall receive regular and recorded health and safety training, and such training shall be repeated for new or reassigned workers.

3.3 Access to clean toilet facilities and to potable water, and, if appropriate, sanitary facilities for food storage shall be provided.

3.4 Accommodation, where provided, shall be clean, safe, and meet the basic needs of the workers.

3.5 The company observing the code shall assign responsibility for health and safety to a senior management representative.

4. Child labour shall not be used 4.1 There shall be no new recruitment of child labour.

4.2 Companies shall develop or participate in and contribute to policies and programmes which provide for the transition of any child found to be performing child labour to enable her or him 4

to attend and remain in quality education until no longer a child; "child" and "child labour" being defined in the appendices.

4.3 Children and young persons under 18 shall not be employed at night or in hazardous conditions.

4.4 These policies and procedures shall conform to the provisions of the relevant ILO standards.

5. Living wages are paid 5.1 Wages and benefits paid for a standard working week meet, at a minimum, national legal standards or industry benchmark standards, whichever is higher. In any event wages should always be enough to meet basic needs and to provide some discretionary income.

5.2 All workers shall be provided with written and understandable Information about their employment conditions in respect to wages before they enter employment and about the particulars of their wages for the pay period concerned each time that they are paid.

5.3 Deductions from wages as a disciplinary measure shall not be permitted nor shall any deductions from wages not provided for by national law be permitted without the expressed permission of the worker concerned. All disciplinary measures should be recorded.

6. Working hours are not excessive 6.1 Working hours comply with national laws and benchmark industry standards, whichever affords greater protection.

6.2 In any event, workers shall not on a regular basis be required to work in excess of 48 hours per week and shall be provided with at least one day off for every 7 day period on average.

Overtime shall be voluntary, shall not exceed 12 hours per week, shall not be demanded on a regular basis and shall always be compensated at a premium rate.

7. No discrimination is practised 7.1 There is no discrimination in hiring, compensation, access to training, promotion, termination or retirement based on race, caste, national origin, religion, age, disability, gender, marital status, sexual orientation, union membership or political affiliation.

8. Regular employment is provided 8.1 To every extent possible work performed must be on the basis of recognised employment relationship established through national law and practice.

8.2 Obligations to employees under labour or social security laws and regulations arising from the regular employment relationship shall not be avoided through the use of labour-only contracting, sub- contracting, or home-working arrangements, or through apprenticeship schemes where there is no real intent to impart skills or provide regular employment, nor shall any such obligations be avoided through the excessive use of fixed-term contracts of employment.

9. No harsh or inhumane treatment is allowed 9.1 Physical abuse or discipline, the threat of physical abuse, sexual or other harassment and verbal abuse or other forms of intimidation shall be prohibited.

If you need any further help / assistance or if you feel we are not complying with this Code then please contact our HR department at Head Office Rotherham 5

Manual Handling

A manual handling operation may be defined as "any transporting or supporting of a load (including lifting, putting down, pushing, pulling, carrying or moving) by hand or bodily force."

Approximately one third of all injuries reported to the enforcing authorities are due to incorrect manual handling.

6

1

Think before lifting/handling. Plan the lift. Can handling aids be used? Where is the load going to be placed? Will help be needed with the load? Remove obstructions such as discarded wrapping materials.

For a long lift, consider resting the load midway on a table or bench to change grip.

2

Keep the load close to the waist. Keep the load close to the body for as long as possible while lifting. Keep the heaviest side of the load next to the body. If a close approach to the load is not possible, try to slide it towards the body before attempting to lift it.

3

Adopt a stable position. The feet should be apart with one leg slightly forward to maintain balance (alongside the load, if it is on the ground).

The worker should be prepared to move their feet during the lift to maintain their stability.

4

Adopt a stable position. Avoid tight clothing or unsuitable footwear, which may make this difficult.

5

Get a good hold. Where possible the load should be hugged as close as possible to the body. This may be better than gripping it tightly with hands only.

6

Start in a good posture. At the start of the lift, slight bending of the back, hips and knees is preferable to fully flexing the back (stooping) or fully flexing the hips and knees (squatting).

7

Don’t flex the back any further while lifting. This can happen if the legs begin to straighten before starting to raise the load.

8

Avoid twisting the back or leaning sideways, especially while the back is bent. Shoulders should be kept level and facing in the same direction as the hips. Turning by moving the feet is better than twisting and lifting at the same time.

9

Keep the head up when handling. Look ahead, not down at the load, once it has been held securely.

10 Move smoothly. The load should not be jerked or snatched as this can increase the risk of injury.

11 Don’t lift or handle more than can be easily managed. There is a difference between what people can lift and what they can safely lift. If in doubt, seek advice or get help.

12 Put down then adjust. If precise positioning of the load is necessary, put it down first then slide it into the desired position.

There is no such thing as a completely ‘safe’ manual handling operation.

But working within the following guidelines will cut the risk and reduce the need for a more detailed assessment. Use this diagram to make a quick and easy assessment. Each box contains a guideline weight for lifting and lowering in that zone. As you can see the guideline weights reduce if handling with arms extended.

7

Safety Signs Safety signs everywhere in the European Union mean the same thing.

There are four main colours used:

RED Signs – Prohibition (Don’t Do)

BLUE Signs – Mandatory (Must Do)

No Smoking

Ear Protection

No Pedestrians

Eye Protection

No Mobile Phones

Protective Footwear

No Parking

Pedestrians Only Wash Hands

YELLOW Signs – Hazard Warning

GREEN Signs – Safe Conditions

Danger – Electric Shock Risk

Emergency Stop

Caution – Slippery Floor

Emergency Shower

Caution – Fork Lift Trucks Operating

First Aid Point Emergency Exit

8

Accidents, first aid & medication All accidents must be reported immediately, including any "near miss" to your supervisor and first aider and, where necessary, recorded appropriately.

There are qualified first aiders within your workplace, please familiarise yourself with them.

To prevent any accidents always follow instructions, manual handling techniques, adopt a "clean as you go" attitude and ask for any training where required.

Personal medication should remain with your personal belongings in lockers when provided. If you have a medical condition that requires you to carry medication on your person, this must be agreed with the first aider at work.

Please notify Stafforce before commencing work.

If you are working in a food environment, any cuts or grazes (old or new) must be covered with a food industry blue detectable plaster.

Upper Limb Disorder Upper limb disorders are a range of conditions characterised by discomfort or persistent pain in muscles, tendons and other soft tissues. They are caused by repetitive twisting and gripping movements resulting in strain.

Symptoms •

Aching or painful fingers, wrists or arms

•

Swelling or inflamed tendons

•

Numbness, pain or tingling

•

Pain on movement or pressure

•

Weakness of grip

•

Creaking felt over the involved tendon as it moves

Should you experience any of these symptoms, please notify Stafforce.

Personal Protective Equipment Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) will be provided for your assignment.

It is an act of gross misconduct to wilfully damage or misuse any PPE. PPE is provided to ensure you can work safely and to ensure that the product is protected from you.

Please familiarise yourself with the process of PPE use and ensure you follow all guidance.

9

COSHH Control of Substances Hazardous to Health - Control measures have been put into place to eliminate /substitute the use of hazardous substances, reduce exposure, isolate and control procedures. Do not use substances unless you have received training and it has been signed off by your supervisor.

Knife Use / Equipment There may be times at work when you are required to use a knife. If you are under 18 years old you are not allowed to use a knife unless it is a safety knife. Do not bring your own knives to work, if your job requires you to use one, it will be supplied by your employer.

•

Never place a knife in your pocket

•

Never walk around with an open knife

•

Never fool around with a knife

•

Never cut towards yourself (unless the process is designed that way), always cut away holding handle firmly to avoid slipping and keep your free hand clear and wearing a cut resistant glove

•

Never leave knives lying around always store correctly

•

Blades must be covered when not in use

•

If sharpening a knife using a steel, ensure steel is upright and located in a hole

The Health and Safety at Work Act (1974) Section 7 states: that we must act with ourselves and others in mind. Ensure that your actions or neglect do not create a hazard for you or others. Wear protective equipment provided (PPE).

Do not touch any machinery that you have not been trained to operate. Do not interfere with safety devices. All safety equipment required will be supplied i.e. bump hats, cut resistant gloves, ear defenders and high visibility jackets.

ALL KNIVES WILL BE SUPPLIED, OWN KNIVES ARE NOT TO BE BROUGHT TO WORK

Clean as you go It is standard practice for all workers to assist in cleaning their work area.

Cleanliness is everyone's responsibility and plays an important role in reducing Slips & Trips. Any food, tapes, paper, cardboard, labels etc which are picked up off the floor must be placed in the waste bins.

After picking anything off the floor you must wash your hands and change your gloves. Don't leave things lying around on benches or gangways blocking fire exits.

10

Fire Evacuation If you discover a fire: You must immediately operate the nearest fire alarm call point Inform your Supervisor Switch off machinery Follow the evacuation procedure Do not re-enter the building until given permission to do so

On hearing the alarm: Go to your nearest safe exit Follow green safety signs Go to your assembly point Wait for your roll call Do not re-enter the building until given permission to do so

Report to the Fire Marshall if you are unable to reach your own assembly point.

Please observe site specific instructions with regards to leaving the building in the case of a fire alarm.

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Equality and diversity We are committed to providing services which embrace diversity and which promote equality of opportunity in all aspects of recruitment to avoid unlawful or undesirable discrimination. Stafforce will treat everyone equally irrespective of sex, sexual orientation, marital status, age, disability, race, colour, ethnic or national origin, religion, political beliefs or membership or non-membership of a trade union.

Stafforce will ensure that each candidate is assessed only in accordance with the candidate’s merits, qualification and ability to perform the relevant duties required by the particular vacancy.

Unions At your place of work, there may be a Union. As a worker you are entitled to join. This does not affect your status with Stafforce or at the place of your work assignment.

Payment of Wages Stafforce Recruitment will pay you for any work undertaken one week in arrears.

This is paid directly into your bank account, every Friday.

(Should this change for any reason you will be informed) Payslips will be emailed to you.

If you do not have a bank account, we can pay you by cheque for two weeks by which time we expect you to have opened a bank account.

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Pensions Everyone needs to consider what sort of financial provision they will make for their retirement. You may think that there’s plenty of time to consider life after work later, but with the increased need for each person to take responsibility for their future, you really can’t begin too early. State benefits are reducing in real terms and, to maintain your standard of living later in life, it would be wise to act now, if you have not already done so.

If you would like further information on Stafforce Personnel Ltd. Stakeholder Pension Scheme, please contact Hawley & Wood on 01709 513811 who will be able to advise you further.

Holidays

Your entitlement is 28 days if you work full time. You accrue holiday on every basic hour you work (not overtime).

Your annual leave year runs from the date you start work to the same date the following year.

If you wish to take a holiday, you must give Stafforce two weeks notice.

Shorter notice requests may be granted, however this cannot be guaranteed. A request form must be completed for all holiday leave applications.

If you wish to take a Bank Holiday day as a holiday day, you should complete the request form for submitting a holiday leave application.

13

Customer Visits From time to time, customers may visit the site you are working at to observe production of their product, talk to staff, and conduct quality audits.

Should you be asked any questions, it is important that you do not attempt to answer if you are unsure what to say. If you genuinely do not know, simply say that you don’t know and that you would ask your supervisor.

Change in Personal Details You must inform Stafforce of any changes to your personal details to enable your file to be kept up to date.

•

Name

•

Next of Kin

•

Address

•

Telephone Number

•

Medical Details

•

Bank Details (must be made in person, Stafforce will not accept any change requests over the phone or by another person)

Your details are made available to our clients for auditing, and to Government organisations when necessary.

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AGENCY WORKERS REGULATIONS 2010 (AWR) These new Regulations came into effect on 1 October 2011 and its purpose is to ensure that temporary workers receive “equal treatment” after completing 12 calendar weeks work at the same hirer in the same job role.

Regulation 5 defines equal treatment as, the same pay and working conditions that a new worker recruited directly by the hirer would receive. In some cases, after completing 12 calendar weeks your pay and conditions may change.

These same Regulations also offer an alternative treatment for temporary workers who work for their Temporary Work Agency (TWA) on a Contract of Employment. This “favourable treatment” is called “pay between assignments (PBA)” also known as Regulation 10. PBA provides 4 weeks pay where no work is available but you remain available for work. As Regulation 10 provides additional pay, you have no other pay rights as provided for under Regulation 5.

Whether your offer of work is Regulation 5 or 10 is solely dependant on the hirer. We will confirm this to you in every new Assignment Letter when we offer you a new job.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to ask your Stafforce representative.

Recording hours worked / Time Keeping Please ask your Stafforce Representative to explain how your hours will be recorded on each new work assignment.

It is your responsibility to ensure that your hours of work are accurately recorded.

You must be ready to start work 15 minutes before your shift start time, dressed correctly.

Working Time Regulations From 1 October 1998 new measures were introduced covering working time, holiday entitlement and breaks.

Under the current Working Time Regulations the basic rights and protections offered are: •

A limit of 48 hours a week which a worker can be required to work

•

The right to 11 consecutive hours of rest a day

•

The right to 2 days rest in 14

•

The right to a break whilst at work if working for 6+ hours

•

The right to 5.6 weeks paid leave a year

15

Opt Out In your contract it included an opt out, of which you can opt back into the Working Time Regulation by giving three months notice to Stafforce in writing. If you are unclear please speak to your Stafforce Representative.

Young Persons Regulations All persons under the age of 18 years old are not allowed to work more than 8 hours a day or more than 5 days a week amounting to a maximum of 40 hours a week.

Under 18’s are not allowed to work between 11pm and 6am.

If you are under 18, it is your responsibility to ensure that you do not work more than 8 hours per day, 5 days a week and 40 hours per week. It is also your responsibility to notify Stafforce and your supervisor at work that you are under 18 years old and when your daily / weekly hour limit is up.

VERY IMPORTANT If you are under 18, please tell Stafforce immediately as you will need to sign an additional declaration, including health and safety information.

Night Worker Regulations There are limits on how long you can work at night. Under the Working Time Regulations a Night Worker is someone who normally works at least three hours during ‘Night Hours’.

Night Hours are between 11pm and 6am although workers and employers may agree to vary this Nightly working time is calculated the same as daily working time over 17 weeks A Night Worker cannot be offered to opt-out of the maximum 48-hour week Young Workers are not allowed to work Night Hours.

Where a night worker’s work involves special hazards or heavy physical or mental strain, there is an absolute limit of eight hours on the worker’s working time each day – this is not an average.

Work will involve a special hazard if it is identified: •

as such by agreement between an employer and workers in a collective agreement or workforce agreement; or

•

as posing a significant risk by a risk assessment which an employer has conducted under the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999.

You completed a night worker assessment as part of the application process and are entitled to be re-assessed each year.

16

Smoking Smoking is banned in all workplaces in the United Kingdom. The only place you can smoke is in specially designated areas.

If you are caught smoking in unauthorized areas, this will be considered as an act of gross misconduct and can lead to your assignment being terminated and /or dismissal.

Harassment and Bullying Everyone should be treated with dignity and respect at all times. Bullying and harassment of any kind is in no-one's interest and will not be tolerated in the workplace, and will result in dismissal.

Harassment, in general terms is unwanted conduct affecting the dignity of men and women in the workplace. It may be related to age, sex, race, disability, religion, sexual orientation, nationality or any personal characteristic of the individual, and may be persistent or an isolated incident.

Bullying may be characterised as offensive, intimidating, malicious or insulting behaviour, an abuse or misuse of power through means intended to undermine, humiliate, denigrate or injure the recipient.

Abusive Language Abusive or threatening language to anyone on company premises will not be tolerated and will result in dismissal. Abusive Language is any language that when taken in context, tends to or is likely to offend or expose an individual group or class of individual to hatred or contempt on the basis of race, nationality or ethnic origin, colour, religion, sex, sexual orientation, age, mental or physical disability and political beliefs.

Right to Search All Stafforce workers must submit to random search procedures, including bags, lockers and cars, conducted by the client. No workers are permitted to take anything off site that does not belong to them. This amounts to theft and we will inform the Police and you will be dismissed.

17

Illegal Substances We prohibit the illicit use, sale, attempted sale, conveyance, distribution, manufacture, cultivation, dispensation, purchase, attempted purchase and possession of illegal substances and materials. An illegal substance is anything for which possession is considered illegal under law. If you are found in possession of an illegal substance, you will be dismissed.

Social Media Our core message is that online conduct does not differ from offline conduct.

It is important that you do not misrepresent yourself, the client or Stafforce on social media sites. If you use social media sites such as Facebook, LinkedIn etc. and you wish to state that you are a temporary worker for Stafforce Recruitment than you must list the varying assignments you may have undertaken using the following format; •

Name: Mr A Example

•

Job Title: Temporary Employee at Stafforce Recruitment (branch e.g. Lincoln)

•

Job Description: Production Operative at ‘Client Name’ – Date to Date – Brief description of role

Please update your job description each time you start or leave an assignment. Failure to adhere to these rules will be deemed as misconduct and could lead to disciplinary procedures; if you have a grievance you must follow the grievance procedure as stated in this handbook.

If you leave Stafforce Recruitment, please update your social media pages on your final day to reflect that you no longer work for the business and its clients.

Absence / Sickness / Return To Work Absence On your first day of absence Stafforce must be notified of the reason for absence and if possible, the anticipated duration. This should be done 4 hours before the start of your shift, or at the earliest opportunity, and should be by telephone to Stafforce, or verbally via a colleague if circumstances do not permit otherwise. Texting is not an acceptable means of communicating sickness absence. The Employee should also leave details of how and where he/she can be contacted during the period of absence.

Absence and Sickness is monitored closely and reviewed on a regular basis. Poor attendance may lead to termination of your assignment and/or dismissal. You are expected to avoid unnecessary absence and as far as possible, private affairs like doctor or dentist appointments should be made outside working hours.

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If you have a sickness which is due to food poisoning symptoms and you work in a food environment, you must be: •

24 hours clear of any symptoms (just sickness) before returning to work*

•

48 hours clear of any symptoms (sickness and diarrhoea) before returning to work

*Some food environments may require you to be clear of food poisoning symptoms for 48 hours even in cases of just sickness, please ensure you clarify this with your Stafforce representative before returning to work.

In the circumstance that you are off sick for over seven consecutive days, the company reserves the right to request you to provide a fit note from your doctor. This enables the company to assess what can be done to assist you if you return to work.

Please see your contract for full details of absence, sickness & return to work.

Return to Work On returning to work an absence form will be completed when a ‘return to work’ meeting takes place with Stafforce.

The meeting is designed to: •

welcome you back

•

check you are well enough to be at work

•

update you on any news while you were off

•

identify the cause of the absence

•

discuss any help your employer can provide to ease your return to work

•

decide whether the sickness is work related and whether there’s anything they can do to help

•

carry out a health screening if working with food

Maternity / paternity / adoption Maternity This policy sets out the statutory rights and responsibilities of employees who are pregnant or have recently given birth and gives details of the arrangements for antenatal care, pregnancy-related illness, and maternity pay.

The Company recognises that, from time to time, employees may have questions or concerns relating to their maternity rights. It is the Company's policy to encourage open discussion with employees to ensure that questions and problems can be resolved as quickly as possible. As the maternity provisions are complex, if an employee becomes pregnant she should clarify the relevant procedures with Stafforce to ensure that they are followed correctly.

The following definitions are used in this policy: 'Expected week of childbirth' means the week, starting on a Sunday, during which the employee's doctor or midwife expects her to give birth.

'Qualifying week' means the 15th week before the expected week of childbirth.

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Notification of pregnancy On becoming pregnant, you should notify Stafforce as soon as possible. This is important as there are health and safety considerations for the Company.

By the end of the qualifying week, or as soon as reasonably practicable afterwards, you are required to inform the Company in writing of: •

the fact that you are pregnant;

•

your expected week of childbirth; and

•

the date on which you intend to start your maternity leave.

Time off for antenatal care Once you have advised the Company that you are pregnant, you will be entitled to take reasonable paid time off work to attend antenatal appointments as advised by your doctor, registered midwife or registered health visitor.

In order to be entitled to take time off for antenatal care, you are required to produce a certificate from your doctor, registered midwife or registered health visitor, stating that you are pregnant. Except in the case of the first appointment, you should also produce evidence of the appointment, such as a medical certificate or appointment card, if requested to do so.

Antenatal care may include relaxation and parent craft classes that your doctor, midwife or health visitor has advised you to attend, in addition to medical examinations.

You should endeavour to give Stafforce as much notice as possible of antenatal appointments and, wherever possible, try to arrange them as near to the start or end of the working day as possible.

Health and safety The Company has a duty to take care of the health and safety of all employees. We are also required to carry out a risk assessment to assess the workplace risks to women who are pregnant, have recently given birth or are breastfeeding. The Company will provide you with information as to any risks identified in the risk assessment. If the risk assessment reveals that you would be exposed to health hazards in carrying out your normal job duties, the Company will take such steps as are reasonably necessary to avoid those risks, such as altering your working conditions. In some cases, this may mean offering you suitable alternative work (if available) on terms and conditions that are not substantially less favourable.

If it is not possible for the Company to alter your working conditions to remove the risks to your health and there is no suitable alternative work available to offer you on a temporary basis, the Company may suspend you from work on maternity grounds until such time as there are no longer any risks to your health. This may be for the remainder of your pregnancy until the commencement of your maternity leave. If you are suspended in these circumstances, your employment will continue during the period of the suspension and it does not in any way affect your statutory or contractual 20

employment and maternity rights. You will be entitled to your normal salary and contractual benefits during the period of your suspension, unless you have unreasonably refused an offer of suitable alternative employment.

Sickness absence If you are absent from work during pregnancy owing to sickness, you will receive normal statutory sick pay in the same manner as you would during any other sickness absence provided that you have not yet begun ordinary maternity leave. If, however, you are absent from work due to a pregnancyrelated illness after the beginning of the fourth week before your expected week of childbirth, your maternity leave will start automatically.

If you are absent from work wholly or partly because of pregnancy during the four weeks before the expected week of childbirth, you must notify the Company in writing of this as soon as reasonably practicable.

Maternity Pay To qualify for SMP you must have been: •

employed by the company continuously for at least 26 weeks into the 15th week before the week your baby is due (the qualifying week)

•

earning on average an amount which at least equals the lower earnings limit which applies on the Saturday at the end of your qualifying week

The lower earnings limit is the amount you have to earn before you are treated as paying National Insurance contributions.

If you have a visa that allows you to live and work in the United Kingdom you may be able to get SMP. If your visa includes the condition that you have “no recourse to public funds” you may still get SMP provided you satisfy the qualifying conditions. The qualifying conditions for SMP depend on your recent employment and earnings history. Because of this, SMP does not constitute public funds.

To make a claim for SMP, you must: •

tell the company when you want your SMP to start

•

provide medical evidence of the date your baby is due

If you qualify for SMP, it is paid: •

for the first six weeks at 90 per cent of your average gross weekly earnings with no upper limit

•

for the remaining 33 weeks at the lower of either the statutory rate, or 90 per cent of your average gross weekly earnings

If you cannot get SMP the company will complete form SMP1 and give this to you. On the form, the company will state why SMP has not been paid. If you have more than one employer, you must get form SMP1 from your other employers as well. Form SMP1 is used to support a claim for Maternity Allowance (MA).

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Paternity Paternity Pay For you to qualify for Ordinary Statutory Paternity Pay, all of the following must apply: •

you must be the biological father or adopter of the child or be the mother's (or adopter's) husband, partner or civil partner or have or expect to have responsibility for the child's upbringing

•

you must have continued to work for the company without a break for at least 26 weeks by the 15th week before the baby is due, or employed up to and including the week your wife, partner or civil partner was matched with a child

•

you must continue to work for the company without a break up to the date the child is born or placed for adoption

•

earning on average an amount which at least equals the lower earnings limit

If your average weekly earnings are Ordinary Statutory Paternity Pay is paid for one or two consecutive weeks at the statutory rate or 90 per cent of your average weekly earnings if this is less.

In the case of a multiple birth, entitlement to SPP is exactly the same as if there were one baby.

The company will pay SPP for a single period of either one or two consecutive weeks, depending on the length of paternity leave you decide to take. SPP cannot be paid for more than two weeks.

SPP is a weekly payment due at the end of each SPP week. SPP weeks can start on any day. SPP cannot be paid for any SPP week in which you work for the Company, or for any SPP week you are sick and entitled to get Statutory Sick Pay.

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Adoption Adoption Pay To qualify for Statutory Adoption Pay you must have been: •

matched with a child for adoption by an adoption agency

•

employed by the company without a break for at least 26 weeks up to and including the week the adoption agency told you that you had been matched with a child for adoption

•

earning on average an amount which at least equals the lower earnings limit

Statutory Adoption Pay is paid at the statutory rate (or 90 per cent of your average weekly earnings if this is less).

If you qualify, you will be entitled to Statutory Adoption Pay for 39 weeks. To claim Statutory Adoption Pay you must give the company documentary evidence from the adoption agency. This will usually be a 'matching certificate'.

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Disciplinary Procedures Employees should be aware that assignments may end due to suitability, changes in client demand, breach of contract and gross misconduct etc without the need to follow the procedures set out below.

This procedure applies to all employees and embraces all instances of unacceptable conduct, behaviour or job performance which require disciplinary action in order to maintain good industrial order and discipline in the interests of the Company, its employees and its customers and suppliers.

Informal discussions with Stafforce on performance are not part of this procedure, although a note of all discussions should be kept in an individual’s personnel file.

Written notice of meeting Employees will be given a minimum of 3 working days notice in writing to attend an investigation meeting to discuss the relevant conduct/circumstances which may lead Stafforce to contemplate taking disciplinary action. The investigation meeting may be adjourned for Stafforce to consider the information gathered or to pursue further investigations. Once the investigation process is complete, the employee will then be notified in writing if a disciplinary meeting is to follow. The employee will also be informed of their right to be accompanied by a representative or work colleague of their choice. The disciplinary meeting must occur before action is taken (save for suspension); and the employee must make all reasonable effort to attend. After the meeting, Stafforce will notify the employee of its decision and their right to appeal within 5 days of the outcome of the meeting. The meeting may be adjourned for Stafforce to consider any new information that may need to be pursued.

Employee’s right to be accompanied At all stages of the procedure, the employee will be advised of the right to be accompanied by a fellow employee or a trade union representative.

Adjournments If an employee's chosen representative is unavailable to attend the hearing at the time nominated by the employer, the employee has the right to request a postponement of the hearing to a date within 3 working days of the original date. Such a postponement must be reasonable and may only be requested once.

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Confirmation of disciplinary action Each formal warning will be confirmed in writing within 5 working days of the decision being made, enclosing a copy of the notes taken at the meeting which should state the nature of the failing, any period of time given for improvement and the improvement required, the consequence of a further breach of standards, and the right to appeal which must be exercised in writing within 5 working days.

Formal Verbal Warning Employees, whose performance falls below normal expected standards, will be given a formal verbal warning and Stafforce will confirm the warning to the employee in writing. The warning will remain valid for 6 months.

Written Warning If there is no improvement, or it is felt that the infringement of standards is serious enough to warrant it, an employee may be given a written warning

by Stafforce. The warning will remain valid for 12 months.

Final Written Warning If there is a serious first offence or further breach of standards during the currency of the written warning the employee will be given a final written warning by Stafforce. This may also be applied for serious infringements of standards and procedures. The warning will remain valid for 12 months.

Employees should not commit any act or type of behaviour which either results in, or is likely to result in, danger to life or limb; nor the loss of, or damage to, the property of the Company or any other persons.

Employees should not commit any act or type of behaviour which impedes, or is likely to impede the efficient and safe performance of work, or the maintenance of satisfactory relations within the staff and between staff and management.

Included among such acts will be: •

the falsification of records

•

abuse of the Company's or other employees property

•

refusal to carry out reasonable instructions

•

persistent breaches of the Terms and Conditions of Employment set out in this Handbook

Employees should refrain from: •

Betting, gambling or playing cards on company's premises.

•

Carrying out any work for private use on the Company premises and in the Company’s time

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Gross misconduct Listed below are actions/behaviour that the company and the client considers are acts of gross misconduct. If one or more of the following actions/behaviours are found to have been carried out, it may result in instant termination of the assignment.

This list is not definitive or exhaustive:

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•

Violence, threatening behaviour, harassment or bullying

•

Theft or attempted theft from the Company, its clients or their employees. For the avoidance of doubt this shall include, without limitation, falsifying timesheets or otherwise claiming that you worked on assignment during hours in which you did not in fact work or falsely claiming tax and NIC relief on expenses to which you are not entitled

•

Fraud or clocking offences

•

Malicious damage, misuse or interference with company property, including the introduction of viruses and other damage to computer systems

•

Breaches of the Company or client internet use policy, including downloading pornographic or other prohibited or illegal material

•

Breach of confidentiality

•

Failure to attend for assignment on any day as arranged or to advise of reason for absence within agreed time parameters

•

Failure to notify us by the required deadline of any period in which you anticipate not being on assignment

•

Conviction for any serious criminal offence

•

Leaving site without permission

•

To be found under the influence of, or in possession of alcohol or illegal drugs

•

Serious negligence which causes unacceptable loss, damage, injury or a safety hazard to the Company, its clients or their employees

•

Refusal to accept a suitable offer of work under an assignment

•

Smoking in unauthorised areas

•

Spitting anywhere on site

•

Failure to submit timesheets in respect of work done by you

•

Asleep whilst at work, including during breaks

•

Rude, offensive and threatening language or behaviour to the company, its clients or their employees

•

Falsification of factory documentation

•

Practical joking or horseplay

•

Not wearing PPE

•

Failure to report any PPE defects

•

Breach of Health & Safety or Hygiene rules

•

Refusal to carry out reasonable instructions from managers or supervisors

•

The selling of illegally copied DVD’s, CD’s or Duty Free goods

•

Carrying your mobile, i-Pod or MP3 player into production areas

•

Carrying smoking materials anywhere in the production areas (FOOD ONLY)

•

Eating, drinking, or chewing in unauthorised areas i.e. production areas (FOOD ONLY)

•

Chewing gum anywhere on site (FOOD ONLY)

•

Taking ANY products onto the factory grounds containing nuts (FOOD ONLY)

•

Taking ANY glass, ceramic, hard or brittle plastics onto the factory grounds (FOOD ONLY)

•

Taking physical contamination of any form into the food area (FOOD ONLY)

•

Not following allergen, glass, medicine or hand washing policies or not following other Food Safety Legislation (FOOD ONLY)

•

Not washing or sanitising hands when entering or re-entering production areas or after the toilet (FOOD ONLY)

•

Failure to contact Stafforce with availability and maintain contact

•

Refusal of an assignment

Right to Appeal Employees have the right to appeal any decision taken by the company regarding a disciplinary. To appeal a decision you must write to the company stating your wish to appeal, including the reasons why you believe the original decision was not the correct one. The company will arrange a further meeting to discuss your appeal; this will be dealt with by a manager who has not previously been involved in the case wherever possible.

Any appeal will be held in the same format as the original meeting and you have a right to bring a companion, as before.

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Grievance Procedures On each new assignment please familiarise yourself with the client’s specific grievance procedure. There may be subtle differences between assignments including (but not limited to) the reporting procedure.

If you have a grievance with the Company relating to any aspect of your work you should in the first instance, wherever possible, discuss it at any time with a member of your local Stafforce team.

If this does not resolve your issue, a formal meeting can be arranged as soon as possible, normally within ten days. Following which written confirmation of the outcome will be forwarded to you within twenty-eight days of the grievance being received.

You have a duty to make all reasonable attempts to attend any meeting arranged.

After the meeting the company will inform you of its decision, and the company will notify you of your right of appeal if not satisfied. To exercise this right, you should confirm your appeal in writing stating the reasons for appeal.

All appeals will be heard normally within five working days and confirmation of the outcome will be issued in writing within ten days of the appeal being received.

There is no further right to appeal from this stage.

It is really important that you have a positive attitude and apply yourself to the job asking questions of your supervisor if you are unsure about anything.

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NOTES

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NOTES

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NOTES

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